World Cup Soccer: World Cup 2014 play-off draw: Portugal face Sweden in battle for Brazil

Portgual will face Sweden in arguably the pick of the European World Cup play-offs, the draw for which took place at Fifa's headquarters in Zurich on Monday afternoon.

The first legs will take place on 15 November, when Sweden will travel to Portugal, France will be in Ukraine, Greece will host Romania and Iceland will entertain Croatia. The second-legs will be played on 19 November.

The four eventual winners will qualify for next summer's finals in Brazil, joining the nine nations that have already progressed as European qualifying-group winners: Belgium, Italy, Germany, Holland, Switzerland, Russia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, England and the 2010 World Cup winners, Spain.

Portgual finished second to Russia in Group F while Sweden were runners-up to Germany in Group C. The last time the sides met in qualifiers both games finished goalless, yet with Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic likely to feature for the respective sides, there should be plenty of attacking play on show.

Read more: World Cup 2014 play-off draw: Portugal face Sweden in battle for Brazil | Football | The Guardian

World Cup Soccer 2014: Netherlands on top of Group D after 4-1 win over Romania

A thrilling first-half saw Jeremain Lens and Bruno Martins Indi put the visitors two goals ahead in the opening half an hour, before a brilliant solo effort from Ciprian Marica pulled the hosts back into the tie.

The Dutch would take a two-goal lead into the interval however, with Rafael van der Vaart converting from the spot in added time.

Neither side were able to replicate their first-half dynamism in the second period, with Netherlands comfortable controlling the tempo of the game and holding on to collect three valuable points. A late Robin van Persie strike sealed the victory for his side.

Tempers boiled over as the match drew to a close, with the home crowd seething at the decision to deny the hosts a penalty. A flurry of bookings were issued in the final ten minutes, but the Dutch maintained their composure to put the match to bed in the 85th minute. Narsingh found Van Persie with a brilliantly weighted low delivery from the right, which the Manchester United striker converted in clinical fashion.

The Netherlands now top group D with 12 points, while Romania find themselves joint second alongside Hungary. 
 

Read more: Match Report: Romania 1-4 Netherlands - Goal.com

World Cup Soccer: Netherlands vs Turkey Preview

Netherlands do not have too many injury worries ahead of Friday's game, but will still be without a number of regulars.

Louis van Gaal already dropped Mark van Bommel and Khalid Boulahrouz after Euro 2012, and has now opted to leave out Gregory van der Wiel, Nigel de Jong, Rafael van der Vaart and Ibrahim Afellay as well as he feels they lack match practice and have been too busy with transfers in the past few weeks.

Therefore, Ajax youngster Ricardo van Rhijn is expected to start at right-back, while Twente star Leroy Fer is likely to take De Jong's place in midfield.

Robin van Persie will probably have to settle for a spot on the bench once more as Van Gaal prefers Schalke hitman Klaas-Jan Huntelaar as his No.9.

Turkey boss Abdullah Avci will have to make do without the services of first-choice goalkeeper Volkan Demirel due to injury, while back-up shot stopper Sinan Bolat is being plagued by physical problems as well.

Utility man Sabri Sarioglu is unavailable, too, and Besiktas striker Mustafa Pektemek recently sustained a serious knee injury that will keep him out of action for a while.

Galatasaray midfielder Selcuk Inan will be hoping to get the chance to prove his worth against the Dutch, but it seems as if the 27-year-old might miss out on a starting berth.

 Read more: Netherlands vs Turkey Preview - Goal.com

Germany: World Cup Womens Soccer: Hope Solo, Marta will play in USA-Brazil game

The Brazilian journalists came running toward Hope Solo here on Saturday morning. As soon as the U.S. goalkeeper had finished an interview with me in the lobby of the team hotel, a top Brazilian TV network asked Solo if she would "send a kiss" on video to a male sports anchor back home who has become infatuated with her during the Women's World Cup.

With Brazil's speed and skill up front, it's likely that Solo will have to make some big stops in the quarterfinal, not unlike the one she had in blocking the shot that Sweden's Lotta Schelin had on a breakaway early in Wednesday's game. In some ways, it's impressive that Solo is even on the field after returning early from major reconstructive shoulder surgery just in time for the World Cup. She now has 11 anchors holding her right shoulder together.

For more: World Cup Hope Solo, Marta will play in USA-Brazil game - Grant Wahl - SI.com

World Cup Soccer: Its Spain against Holland in final

Spain grasped their place in a World Cup final with Holland on Sunday by proving that they can stop being their elaborate selves when different methods are essential. A disappointed Germany will be stunned that they should have conceded a goal at a set piece, when Carles Puyol headed home after 73 minutes.
His side were more at ease thereafter and Pedro squandered an opportunity to extend the lead. This, even so, is an emerging Germany line-up that will be more formidable still in the next few years. Spain took care and their own team selection was altered as they avoided acting out of mere habit. One of their best attackers enjoyed just an eventual cameo.

A night that poses a challenge such as this can question every assumption. Vicente del Bosque, for instance, had previously been determined to nurse Fernando Torres into form and fitness following the knee surgery in the spring, but the Liverpool forward had not made his mark in the earlier knockout matches at this tournament. In Durban he returned to the substitutes' bench for Spain.
 
For more: Germany v Spain | Stuff.co.nz: "

World Cup Soccer: Yellow cloud hangs over Netherlands, Brazil

Kaka the Real Madrid playmaker is joined by Luis Fabiano, Juan and Felipe Melo in the group of Brazilians who will miss a potential semifinal against Uruguay or Ghana if he picks up a booking in Friday's game.

Kaka has already had to sit out Brazil's closing group game against Portugal after being sent off for two yellow cards in the 3-1 win over Côte d'Ivoire.

The Dutch are in an even more precarious position than Brazil with no fewer than seven of their side in danger of missing the semifinal should they prevail.

For more: Yellow cloud hangs over Netherlands, Brazil - Mail & Guardian Online: The smart news source

SOCCER: The World Cup Needs Instant Replay Now -- by Clay Travis

Sunday's blown goal call in the Germany and England match needs to be a clarion call from this day forth: The World Cup must have instant replay for all goals or potential goals. In case you missed it, you can watch the goal scored by England's Frank Lampard by clicking here. England went on to lose the match 4-1, but Lampard's goal should have tied the game at 2. Anyone who watched this game, you and I included, immediately realized what a bungled call this was.

After the missed call the British would yield two more goals and march back into the ignominy of another failed World Cup. FIFA officials, who have dealt with blown goal calls the entire tournament, refused to comment upon the latest colossal blunder. Instead FIFA arrogantly relied upon the old tried and true statements once trotted out as weak excuses for why there would be no instant replay in American sports leagues. Namely, that instant replay would represent a slippery slope that would lead to too much review, would be difficult to implement, and make the game worse.

FIFA's position is, essentially, that player and referee errors are a part of the game. That's true, but it's also idiotic. If you can eliminate some referee errors then you magnify the importance of the on-field performance of the players. Which, in the end, is the goal of all sports, right? Allowing the players to determine the outcome. Just imagine what would have happened if England and Germany had been playing in the World Cup Final and England had lost after a missed goal like this.

EU-Digest: FIFA is totally wrong in not going for instant replay. Not only the British game was full of mistakes by the officials, but also the Argentina - Mexico meeting allowed a goal by Argentina which was a clear offside for everyone to see except the officials.

For more: The World Cup Needs Instant Replay Now -- Soccer FanHouse

World Cup 2010 TV Schedules, Listings for World Cup Video Highlights & Streaming

For the upcoming schedules of the world cup soocer games click here: Live Soccer TV - World Cup 2010 TV Schedules, Listings for World Cup Video Highlights & Streaming

Soccer: Netherlands 4-1 Ghana: Oranje Crush Black Stars With Ease

The Netherlands continued their winning run ahead of the World Cup finals as they defeated Ghana 4-1 at the Feijenoord Stadion in Rotterdam on Tuesday evening. Dirk Kuyt, Rafael Van der Vaart, Wesley Sneijder and Robin Van Persie were on target for the Oranje while Asamoah Gyan scored a consolation goal for the Black Stars.

For more: Netherlands 4-1 Ghana: Oranje Crush Black Stars With Ease - Goal.com

Soccer (World Cup): Dutch want elusive title

Trainer Bert van Marwijk took over the Netherlands following Euro 2008, when the Oranje breezed through the group stage only to be eliminated in the first knockout round in their second straight major tournament.

Van Marwijk guided the team through World Cup qualifying with eight wins in as many matches, but in a group with current European lightweights Iceland, Macedonia, Norway and Scotland, the new coach really didn't get a feel for exactly how good of a team he inherited. Neither did the rest of the world, which could be good for the Netherlands this summer.

The Dutch were second in the World Cup in 1974 and 1978, losing to the hosts both years. The Netherlands lost to West Germany 2-1 in 1974 and Argentina in added extra time 3-1 in 1978. Holland's lone major title is Euro 1988, when it beat host West Germany in the semifinals and the Soviet Union in the final. Van Marwijk enters the 2010 World Cup with only one truly acceptable result, and that's lifting the trophy on July 11 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

For more: The Sports Network - International Soccer (World Cup)

Soccer: U.S. soccer team listless in loss to Netherlands 2-1 - by Graham e L.Jones

Unless someone pokes a sharp stick in them, the Americans remain a team that can be taken, a team that all too often sleepwalks its way through games. This is especially true when it plays in Europe, where the U.S. has won only four of 26 games in the last dozen years. Despite the fact that several starters were playing for the opportunity to make the final U.S. World Cup roster that will go to South Africa in June, far too many players failed to rise to the challenge presented by a Dutch side that itself did not appear especially interested in the game.

The Netherlands did just enough to ensure that it won, accomplishing the feat on a penalty-kick goal by Liverpool's Dirk Kuyt five minutes before halftime and a second goal by AC Milan's Klaas-Jan Huntelaar in the 73rd minute.

With Inter Milan's Wesley Sneijder orchestrating things from the center, the Dutch controlled play, maintaining possession with apparent ease and leaving the U.S. to chase shadows.

For more: U.S. soccer team listless in loss to Netherlands - latimes.com

Soccer World Cup 2010: Know Your Rivals - Group E Predictions

How do the experts of Group E think that the group will go? Here we ask our local experts for their thoughts on their teams' three games, in order of play. If you want to know how Greek experts feel about the prospect of meeting Argentina

World Cup 2010: Know Your Rivals - Group E Predictions - Goal.com - by Tommy Vaneldik

ESPN: Soccer - Australia launch 2018 World Cup bid in Canberra

For the complete report from ESPN Soccernet click on this link

Australia launch 2018 World Cup bid in Canberra

Australian Football Federation chairman Frank Lowy has called on the Australian public to unite behind the 2018/2002 World Cup bid, which was officially launched at Parliament House in Canberra. Lowy said their support was vital to the success of Australia's bid for either the 2018 or the 2022 World Cup, which he described as "realistic and achievable". "Our aim is to show FIFA and the football world that we are passionate about football and welcoming the world," Lowy said.

USA Today: Soccer - Netherlands beats Iceland to qualify for World Cup

For the complete report from USATODAY.com click on this link

Soccer - Netherlands beats Iceland to qualify for World Cup

The Netherlands became the first European nation to qualify for the 2010 World Cup after beating Iceland 2-1 on Saturday. Midfielder Nigel de Jong scored in the ninth minute, and Mark van Bommel doubled the lead seven minutes later to assure the Netherlands of top spot in Group 9 with two matches still to play. Kristjan Orn Sigurdsson scored for Iceland in the 88th. Earlier, Japan became the first team to qualify for the World Cup by winning 1-0 at Uzbekistan. Australia and South Korea also advanced Saturday, while South Africa qualifies automatically as host.

"We can be proud. Six games, 18 points," Dutch captain Giovanni van Bronckhorst said. "We're glad we've booked out ticket."